America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, right? Maybe not. And who named Australia? Find out the unusually uncertain origins of the continents and other interesting stuff in this classic episode.
AI Summary
# Who Gets to Name Continents?
Hosts Josh and Chuck explore the fascinating geological and historical story behind how Earth's continents got their names, starting with the ancient supercontinent Pangaea and working through the continental drift theory that explains why continents look like puzzle pieces that fit together. They then dive into the surprisingly complex origins of continent names—from Antarctica being named as the opposite of the Arctic, to the contentious debate over whether America was actually named after explorer Amerigo Vespucci or possibly a Mayan word for mountains, plus theories about how Phoenician sailors might have named Asia and Europe based on sunrise and sunset directions. It's a packed episode that proves there's way more mystery and intrigue to geography than most people realize, with plenty of engaging tangents about maps, movies, and the surprising lack of definitive answers for how we named our world.
Moscow on the Hudson
1984
R
1h 55m
★ 6.3
"Then I was like, God, I just can't imagine Robin Williams and Walter Matthau working together. Then didn't they do Moscow on the Hudson too? — Josh asks if Walter Matthau appeared in Moscow on the Hudson with Robin Williams."
— Josh
Superman
1978
2h 24m
★ 7.2
"Lex Luthor wanted Australia. Yeah. To his own? Or Superman 2. — Chuck mentions Gene Hackman's character Lex Luthor wanting Australia as a reward in Superman or Superman 2."
— Chuck
Superman II
1980
PG
2h 7m
★ 6.8
"Or Superman 2. Yeah, remember when the three Terrence Stam and the gang came down. — Josh references Superman II as the film where Lex Luthor negotiates with the three Kryptonians."
— Josh
The Cider House Rules
1999
PG-13
2h 6m
★ 7.1
"According to Garp. I never saw that one. That was by the guy who did Ciderhouse Rules, right? Yeah, John Irving. — Chuck references The Ciderhouse Rules as a film made by John Irving."
— Chuck
The Couch Trip
1988
R
1h 37m
★ 5.5
"But then it made me think about Couch Trip. You remember that movie with Dan Aykroyd and Walter Matthau? — Josh brings up The Couch Trip as a film starring Dan Aykroyd and Walter Matthau."
— Josh
The Odd Couple
1968
1h 46m
★ 7.4
"And boy, the odd couple, Matthau and Lemon. I don't know if I ever saw that original one. — Josh mentions The Odd Couple featuring Matthau and Lemon."
— Josh
The Usual Suspects
1995
1h 46m
★ 8.2
"I saw the beginning of a movie with Robin Williams and Walter Matthau... They go to a survivalist camp or something? Yeah. I think it's called Survivors? — Josh describes a movie he partially watched featuring Robin Williams and Walter Matthau at a survivalist camp."
— Josh
The World According to Garp
1982
R
2h 16m
★ 6.7
"According to Garp. I never saw that one. That was by the guy who did Ciderhouse Rules, right? — Chuck asks if The World According to Garp was made by the same person who made Ciderhouse Rules."
— Chuck
We Need to Talk About Kevin
2011
R
1h 53m
★ 7.5
"Have you seen we need to talk about Kevin? Uh-uh. Oh, you'll love it. Is it a movie? — Chuck asks if Josh has seen We Need to Talk About Kevin and describes it as a sleeper film on Netflix."
— Chuck
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